Boomers Beware

[BraggSurvivor]

Yesterday I left my 84 year old pal Ben. He now lives in assisted living. His life consists of 3 squares, a dump a day, and 18 hours of TV. Ben chose to live a life without exercise. He was active, smart, and a community guy everyone knew. The key man is a fat bastard, yet I run 3 miles with no problem. I tip my hat to my genetic peasant material.
Life is a difficult long journey. If you are lucky enough to have plenty of loot, you may still end up having a piss poor quality of life. Life was meant to be lived. People were meant to be engaged with and amongst themselves. Everyones life is an interesting story.
My point, if the good Lord graces you with 80 plus years, be in a physical shape where you can have enjoy most of the physical activities you did when you were sixty and seventy.

Ben's last request was for some hooch and a young woman. Both are prohibited at the facility, and besides Ben had his prostrate removed ten years ago. So in compromise we both shared a piece, that is a piece of coconut custard pie. At 84 that piece and the peace the Lord may bless him with is all that is left.

Walk, ride a bicycle, tennis, do something. If I can fit it into my busy day, so can anyone.

[crashdive123]

Amen to that Bragg. There's a great book - "Younger Next Year -Live Strong, Fit and Sexy Until Your're 80 and Beyond" by Chris Crowley & Henry Lodge. A good read about that very topic.

[RBB]

Yeah, I think of my dad, who is 83 this year. Happened to see him, last summer, walking across a field, with some other guys. Knew it was dad from a long way off because of his gait. He kind of bounces like a teen-ager. As I watched, I wondered who those "older guys" were - that he was with. Turned out to be my maternal uncles - all of whom are younger than dad.

At 83, dad has never quit moving. His father, who was of similar build, lived to be 101, then decided to die. Grandfather told me, the year he turned 100, "Life has gotten boring." "All my friends are dead, my eyes are poor enough that reading is a chore, I can't hear well enough to understand half the conversation, and no one needs me for anything." "I think it is time to die."

Grandfather lived on his own until age 100 - at which time he went into a nursing home and decided to die. I visited him there several times, and he would not allow nurses in his room unless he invited them in. They were all afraid of him - and well they might be. The rest of us were. He was quiet most of the time, but beneath that quiet exterior was "Mr Furious"!

[bulrush]

I know what you mean, Bragg, how exercise is really important. I've had relatives who were couch potatoes, and it literally killed them. It leads to heart disease and then swelling of the extremeties, in my family anyway. I like to get out and exercise but now I have a bad knee and can't do walking anymore.

[Rick]

Sometimes it's not about being too busy or lazy or indifferent. Sometimes you just accept the hand life dealt and you learn to be pretty happen with it.

[Leon]

Thats it exactly - never stop moving. What people do not realise is from your late 20s your body is starting to fail faster than it grows and repairs, in otherwords if you do not keep exercising (and eating the fat/protein required for repair) you are on your way towards death (albeit very very slowly). My great uncle is nearly 80 and he is very active, he learnt how to look after himself as a paratrooper and because he has remained active he has remained healthy - in comparison to some other family members who have not been active and look older than they are and are less mobile than he is!

[Beo]

Bragg that is so true bro, good read and good thoughts.

[trax]

Yep, hard to hit a moving target

[Rick]

Did I miss something? Don't you wind up in the same place whether you exercise or not?

[Leon]

No seriously if you run really fast death can't catch you, he does have to carry a heavy scythe around, plus skeleton feet suck at running.

[Rick]

Oh. And there is all that wind resistant with that stupid cape thingy. Hmmm. You may be on to something unless he knows a shortcut. He's been around the block a time or two.

[Chicago Dan]

Walk, ride a bicycle, tennis, do something. If I can fit it into my busy day, so can anyone.

Got that right Bragg.

I come from a long line of feisty old coots. My grandfather was a younin when he died at 83. His 3 brothers lived into 90's and one to 105.
One thing they all had in common: active lifestyles. All were active in outdoor activities, got up at 5am to bed by 9pm.
I believe genetics plays a large part but no sense not keeping fit to improve your quality of life at any age.

[RobertRogers]

Now that I am in my late 40's I see a wide gap between people my age who

have always taken care of themselves:
eating right,
no smoking,
no drugs,
good exercise

And those who haven't.

It's literally like night and day. The others look and act like 60 and 70 year olds compared to us. Really, it is truly amazing.

My buddies and I can practically run up mountains. The others can barely make it up a couple flights of stairs. Even their mental abilities are rapidly diminishing.

I suspect when I hit 70 I will still be very active while those who let themselves go will be in nursing homes. Sad indeed to do that to yourself.

[trax]

I don't get into this stuff too often, but here goes. Rick's right, we all end up coming to an end sooner or later. Do any of us know when it's going to be? Nope, consequently, treat today like it is, is my opinion.

[Rick]

Bless your good health, gents. I'd love to run up mountains with you and all those nifty things. Alas, my arthritis and a couple of past accidents limit the ability to do that. Do not judge those "old timers" too harshly for their lack of exercise. They be doing all they can to stay in shape. Not every health problem is visible.

[Beo]

I agree Trax, death is coming if you like it or not. I do not fear death, but except it when it comes, that is not to say I seek death out, no no not at all but only that when it comes I am ready to face it in whatever form it takes me in. (hopefully not by drowning, fire, or suffication)
Now leave me alone Grasshopper

[Ole WV Coot]

Those old guys that can't make it anymore could have worked themselves to the point it is tough to exercise. I just did an inventory and nothing on or in my body is what it once was. The work I did was rough on all joints and you were guaranteed arthritis, knee and or hip replacement and back trouble was a given. I have fought it for years, went to the doc (a friend of mine) for a torn rotor cup. He said I wasn't bad for 55. He said he knocked off several years because I act like I am 40. I still do everything I did at 30 except climb poles and get thumped in bars. Guess I am fortunate, I look at lots of old guys then find out I am 10 or more years older than they are.

[Rick]

I do that same things I did at 30, too Coot. It just takes me a lot longer to get started and a lot longer to get stopped.